1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an ultrasonic probe for generating an image of an inside of a subject using ultrasonic waves.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ultrasonic diagnosis apparatuses are apparatuses that radiate ultrasonic signals onto a target part of a body from a body surface of the subject and obtain a tomogram of a soft tissue or an image of blood flow of the soft tissue using information regarding reflected ultrasonic signals (ultrasonic echo signals) in a noninvasive manner.
In comparison with other image diagnosis apparatuses, such as X-ray diagnosis apparatuses, X-ray computerized tomography (CT) scanners, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatuses, and nuclear medicine apparatuses, ultrasonic diagnosis apparatuses are small-sized and cheap, can be displayed in real time and have high safety due to lack of radiation exposure. Thus, ultrasonic diagnosis apparatuses are widely used in heart, abdominal, urinary, and ob-gyn diagnoses.
An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe that transmits ultrasonic signals to the subject and receives ultrasonic echo signals reflected from the subject so as to obtain an ultrasonic image of the subject.
The ultrasonic probe includes a transducer layer that transforms between electrical signals and sound signals while a piezoelectric material vibrates, a matching layer that reduces a difference in sound impedance between the transducer layer and the subject so that ultrasonic waves generated in the transducer layer can be transmitted to the subject as much as possible, a lens that focuses ultrasonic waves proceeding toward the front of the transducer layer on a particular place, and a backing layer that prevents image distortion by blocking progression of the ultrasonic waves toward the rear of the transducer layer.